Ever since the Chromecast came out, we've been wondering when an official screen mirroring feature would show up. Rather than wait, Koush is already working on that with the Mirror beta app. The functionality is limited right now, and of course, is still only accessible to those in the beta program. You might want to check it out, because Koush has pushed a new version with preliminary support for Chromecast mirroring.

The original feature set of Mirror included recording a screen capture video and mirroring to an Apple TV. Now you can send your screen to a Chromecast or the Chrome browser, but only if you're using a rooted Nexus 5. This will expand later to other non-rooted devices, but the Nexus 5 is the only phone with a hardware VP8 encoder. It makes sense to start there.

The rest of the app is just "regular beta," but Koush describes the Chromecast stuff as "super beta." Just make sure you know what you're getting into. I took the app for a spin with the Nexus 5 and it did indeed work. The image was a bit sluggish and it crashed at one point. This is to be expected – Koush plans to clean Mirror up and get it ready for a real release in the not too distant future. Remember, you need to join the G+ community and the beta if you want to try Mirror.

Mirroring to computer doesn't work for me right now. It says connected to computer but when I hit the url in desktop chrome, the "loading" spinner keeps spinning in the tab and nothing shows up on computer.

EDIT - and the phone became very slow and then rebooted.

wopo

Works great. It's fantastic when good developers show's us that google are only for the money and no for the people

turdbogls

tried this as well last night. worked fairly well for a super beta. typical mirroring works well, but as soon as i tried to mirror a movie from Crackle, it started to hesitate and be REALLY pixelated. in due time I'm sure.

also, gaming is impossible on it.....lol it displays fine, but you still have to watch your actual phone to do it as there is a half second delay.

squiddy20

Isn't a "super beta"... an alpha?

gh0st

there seems to be a fine line between alpha and super beta

Chris

I would like to think alpha as completely untested, just merged work that has not even seen the daylight of any use with the purpose of providing a visual for an idea that is to come.

Super beta I'm assuming means, it has been tested but is absolutely unstable and the developer and it's third party testers have acknowledged the application as so.

Beta being tested work and the developer thinks, to the best of his/her knowledge, that the said application is fully functional but needs a larger user base to find the nits and grits.

WhoaManWtF

How does the Nexus 5 has a VP8 hardware encoder and the LG G2 does not? This has to be poor fact checking done here....

WhoaManWtF

How does the Nexus 5 have VP8 but the LG G2, Note3 and other Qualcomm 800 devices do not?

AllCast only pushes local video and photos to your chromecast. This pushes whatever is showing on your display. Like Mirracast.

Simon Belmont

How about Google push an Android 4.4.3 update that lets us mirror our devices (and cast local content) natively? That's what I really want.

They have the hardware out there now in a lot of peoples' homes (Chromecast). Start adding the features for it that people want.

Robert Phipps

Turns out there is an option under 'display' in the phone settings to 'cast screen', and it works with AllShare/Miracast enabled Samsung televisions.

Lolzcat

Just letting my fellow Nexus 7 (2013) users know that this does not work on our devices. Mine has 4.4.2 installed, on rooted Cyanogenmod 11 nightlies. You can select the Chromecast as a device to mirror to, but the only thing that happens is your Chromecast displays a pitch black image on your TV/monitor. The only way to make the Chromecast function normally again is to disconnect the power source for it to reboot.

Nothing exciting, but I thought I'd share in case anyone was thinking about trying this on their rooted Nexus 7 (2013).

RichA

Same on my rooted Nexus 5

Shai Pal

works great. pixelated after a while, but for an early beta (aka - alpha), it's good.

Darron Vaughn Jeffries

What happens when you change the build prop settings to Nexus 5 for Nexus 7's.

Jim

did anybody tried this on the LG G2?

Ashish Agarwal

Hey guys - My old phone is broke and i need to buy a new one.. I use a chromecast and the choices in my budget are Samsung S4 (the Exynos5 oct core version) and Nexus 5. With the VP8 hadware, should i buy the nexus 5, or should I go for s4 for other benefits like expandable memory etc?